Work Safe BC, create a new class of Vegetable Farming for small-scale operations

The WorkSafeBC website describes how industries are classified in order to set premium rates. This is an excerpt from that description:

Our classification system groups employers in similar industries with similar levels of risk, so we're able to set fair rates and charge your industry an appropriate rate that reflects the rate of injury and illness in your industry.

The classification unit is the basic grouping of our classification system. It represents one or more industries and is based on the products they produce, the services they provide, and the processes, technology, or materials they use.

Employers in the same industry share the same classification unit and pay the same base premium rate for insurance. An industry's base premium rate reflects the risk of injury and historical claim costs. The higher the risk and relative claim costs, the higher the industry's base premium rate will be.

Vegetable farms that do not grow produce exclusively in greenhouses are registered in Classification Unit 701025 (Vegetable Farming). All vegetable (nongreenhouse) farms are covered in this CU regardless of the type or amount of equipment used in the farming activity. The classification unit description can be found here.

We are seeking support to request that WorkSafeBC consider the creation of a new classification that reflects small vegetable farming. Currently, all vegetable farms are classified as if they use large mechanized equipment, toxic pesticides and fertilizers and mass produce handling systems. Small vegetable farms do not operate with those risks and we think it is unfair to expect small operations to subsidize large farming operations.

Please lend your support by signing our petition so that we can lobby WorkSafeBC to create a classification that reflects the risks associated with small vegetable farms along with a premium rate that takes these risks into account.